A Voice for the People

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A Voice for the People
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Who are we?

• Greenwich Community Network (GCN) are 19 thematic
  and geographic network representatives. Each has
  a number of different community and voluntary
  groups within its network.
• Geographic networks
• Woolwich and Plumstead, Abbey Wood and
  Thamesmead, West Greenwich and Blackheath, South
  West Greenwich, South East Greenwich and East
  Greenwich and Charlton.
• Thematic Networks
• Children and Family, Tenants and Residents,
  Disabled People, Volunteers, Young People, Older
  people, Historical Societies, Multi Faith,
  Refugees, Women,
  Homelessness and Travellers, Gay, lesbian,
  bisexual and transsexual.
• Find out more about Our Network Representatives
  visit our website at
• www.greenwichcommunitynetwork.org

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• Alongside 19 network representatives, GCN also
  employs two full time members of staff. These are

GCN Coordinator - Jerry Telfer (020 8921 6487) It
is Jerrys task to facilitate the work of the
networks. This work can include organising the
community conferences, writing the GCN newsletter
and raising the profile of GCN across the Borough.
GCN Administrator Alex Glyde (020 8921 6490)
Alex undertakes the administration for GCN. This
includes booking arrangements, liaison with print
companies and recording of minutes from meetings.
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What is our role?

• Policies from central government indicate that
  the Local Authority must work with a number of
  partners when making decisions about the borough.
  
• These partners include other public sector
  bodies, such as the Police, the Primary Care
  Trust and Job Centre Plus.
• Another of these partners is the community and
  voluntary sector.
• All of these partners sit together on the Local
  Strategic Partnership (LSP). In Greenwich, this
  is called the Greenwich Partnership. (see logo
  bottom right)
• Several representatives from GCN sit on the LSP,
  and it is their role to represent the community
  and voluntary sector.
• GCN gives the sector a voice on the Greenwich
  Partnership and ensures the concerns and opinions
  of community and voluntary groups are heard.
• Find out more about The Greenwich Partnership
• Visit the website at www.greenwichpartnership.org

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How does GCN engage with the community?

• GCN has a number of mechanisms through which it
  engages the community and gauges its opinion on a
  number of issues.
• Attending meetings and events
• Each of our network representatives attends a
  mixture of events and meetings within their
  respective network. Through these they are
  informed about community needs and opinions.
• Network representatives then feed back to each
  other to ensure they have a comprehensive
  understanding of community needs.

• GCN Community Events
• GCN organises community events where key speakers
  address the sector and give people the chance to
  comment or raise questions. The themes of these
  events are decided by GCN.
• Find out more about Our past Community
  Conferences
• Visit the website www.greenwichcommunitynetwork.o
  rg

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Why is GCN important?

• The role of GCN is crucial for a number of
  reasons.
• The community and voluntary sector delivers a
  large number of services to residents of the
  borough as service deliverers it is important
  that their voice is heard.
• The Local Area Agreement, or LAA, sets out new
  ways of partnership working for Greenwich. To
  achieve the targets set out in the LAA, the
  Council must work with partners, and these
  partners include the community and voluntary
  sector.
• The community and voluntary sector ground the
  Local Strategic Partnership by this we mean
  that GCN ensures the voice of the people is
  heard, and ideas and plans are not developed
  solely by statutory bodies such as the Council.
• GCN give the Council and the public sector a
  fresh perspective a view from the people.

• Find out more about The Local Area Agreement.
  Telephone Graham Verge on 020 8921 5038.

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Who can join GCN?

• GCN currently has over 800 community and
  voluntary groups on its membership.
• These groups are broken down and placed in to one
  of the networks, according to the work they do.
• Any community or voluntary group can join, and it
  is free to join.
• Members each receive invitations to our community
  conferences, access to the community calendar web
  page on the GCN site to promote their
  events, and a quarterly
  newsletter.
• MORE IMPORTANTLY, however, members have the
  opportunity
• to have their voice heard on the Local
  Strategic Partnership, the
• Greenwich Partnership.
• If you have something you wish to raise, contact
  the relevant network representative directly.
  This can in turn be raised
• on the LSP, or within other relevant meetings
  they attend.

Young Persons Rep Kenton
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How can I get involved?

• GCN are always looking for people to become
  involved beyond simply signing up for membership.
• We always welcome volunteers - please contact us
  if you
• wish to become involved.
• We may well have a vacancy for one of the network
  
• representatives. Check the website for up to
  date
• vacancies.
• If becoming a network rep is a little daunting,
  perhaps
• becoming one of the representatives deputies
  would
• be more appealing. Our reps are often very busy
  people,
• and at times they are unable to attend meetings
  to
• represent GCN. If this is the case, the deputy
  will fill in
• and feedback on behalf of the rep.
• Interested? Then contact us today. Our details
  can be
• found on the final slide.

Rosa Goncalves, Network Representative for South
West Greenwich.
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How do I contact you?

• Just contact us today, and we will organise the
  rest!
• By mail
• Greenwich Community Network
• 31 Thomas Street
• Woolwich
• SE18 6HU
• By email
• Enquiries_at_GCN.org.uk
• Through the web we have an online
• form you can complete
• www.greenwichcommunitynetwork.org
• By phone
• 020 8921 6490

Members of the GCN Team